Automated structure with pre-established arm positions in a teleoperated medical system

ABSTRACT

A teleoperational medical system for performing a medical procedure in a surgical field includes a teleoperational assembly having a plurality of motorized surgical arms configured to assist in a surgical procedure. It also includes an input device configured to receive an input to move all the arms of the plurality of motorized surgical arms to a pre-established position. A processing system is configured to receive the input form the input device and output control signals to each arm of the plurality of motorized surgical arms to move each arm to the pre-established position.

PRIORITY

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/125,683, filed Sep. 13, 2016, which is the U.S. NationalPhase of International Application PCT/US2015/021108, filed Mar. 17,2015, which claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/954,083, titled “AutomatedStructure With Pre-Established Arm Positions in a Teleoperated MedicalSystem,” filed Mar. 17, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods forcontrolling an imaging instrument and more particularly to systems andmethods for an automated setup with pre-established arm positions in ateleoperated medical system.

BACKGROUND

Surgical procedures can be performed using a teleoperational medicalsystem in a minimally invasive manner. The benefits of a minimallyinvasive surgery are well known and include less patient trauma, lessblood loss, and faster recovery times when compared to traditional, openincision surgery. In addition, the use of a teleoperational medicalsystem, such as the DA VINCI® Surgical System commercialized byIntuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., is known. Suchteleoperational medical systems may allow a surgeon to operate withintuitive control and increased precision when compared to manualminimally invasive surgeries.

A teleoperational medical system may include one or more instrumentsthat are coupled to one or more robotic arms. If the system is used toperform minimally invasive surgery, the instruments may access thesurgical area through one or more small openings in the patient, such assmall incisions or natural orifices, such as, for example, the mouth,urethra, or anus. In some cases, rather than having the instrument(s)directly inserted through the opening(s), a cannula or other guideelement can be inserted into each opening and the instrument can beinserted through the cannula to access the surgical area. An imagingtool such as an endoscope can be used to view the surgical area, and theimage captured by the imaging tool can be displayed on an image displayto be viewed by the surgeon during a surgery.

It is desirable to provide teleoperational medical systems that can beeffectively controlled in a manner that eases use, repeatability, andoperation of a complex teleoperated medical system during setup andduring minimally invasive medical procedures. The systems and methodsdisclosed herein overcome one or more of the deficiencies of the priorart.

SUMMARY

In an exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to ateleoperational medical system for performing a medical procedure in asurgical field. The system includes a teleoperational assembly having amotorized setup structure and a plurality of motorized surgical armsconfigured to assist in a surgical procedure. An input device isconfigured to receive an input to move all the arms of the plurality ofmotorized surgical arms to a pre-established position. A processingsystem is configured to receive the input from the input device andoutput control signals to the setup structure and each arm of theplurality of motorized surgical arms to move the setup structure andeach arm to the pre-established position.

In an aspect, the input device is configured to receive an inputidentifying a portion of a patient's anatomy to be treated in thesurgical procedure, the pre-established position being based on theinput identifying a portion of the patient's anatomy. In an aspect, theinput device is configured to receive an input identifying an approachto the patient to be treated in the surgical procedure, thepre-established position being based on the input identifying thepatient approach. In an aspect, the approach to the patient to betreated is one of a left side, a right side, and a leg approach. In anaspect, the pre-established position is a docking position wherein thesetup structure and each arm of the plurality of motorized surgical armsis deployed in a position for advancing over a patient on a surgicalbed. In an aspect, the teleoperational assembly comprises a boom and arotatable platform rotatably connected to the boom, the motorizedsurgical arms extending from the rotatable platform, the processingsystem configured to rotate the rotatable platform relative to the boomin response to the input received at the input device. In an aspect, theplurality of motorized surgical arms each have a total range of motionand the pre-established docking position for each surgical arm is withina range of 30-70% of the total range of motion. In an aspect, theteleoperational assembly comprises a telescoping column and atelescoping boom extending from the column, the plurality of motorizedsurgical arms being carried on the boom, wherein the boom has a totalrange of motion, and the pre-established docking position for the boomis within a range of 30-70% of the total range of motion. In an aspect,the pre-established position is a draping position wherein each arm ofthe plurality of motorized surgical arms is deployed in a positionsuitable for receiving surgical drapes. In an aspect, theteleoperational assembly comprises a column with an adjustable height,and a boom extending from the column. The has an adjustable length, andthe plurality of motorized surgical arms are carried on the boom. Thedraping position comprises a partially raised column and a partiallyextended boom. In an aspect, the pre-established position is a stowposition wherein each arm of the plurality of motorized surgical arms isdeployed in a fully retracted position to minimize the overall footprintof the teleoperational assembly. In an aspect, the teleoperationalassembly comprises: a column with an adjustable height; and a boomextending from the column. The boom has an adjustable length and theplurality of motorized surgical arms are carried on the boom. The stowedposition comprises a fully retracted column and fully retracted surgicalarms.

In an exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a methodof controlling arms of a teleoperational medical system. The methodincludes receiving an input at a user interface to move all arms of aplurality of motorized surgical arms of a teleoperational assembly to apre-established position; and outputting a control signal to each arm ofthe plurality of motorized surgical arms to move each arm of theplurality of motorized surgical arms to the pre-established position.

In an aspect, the method includes receiving an input identifying aportion of a patient's anatomy to be treated in the surgical procedure,and wherein the control signal to each arm is based on the inputidentifying a portion of the patient's anatomy. In an aspect, the methodincludes receiving an input identifying an approach to the patient to betreated in the surgical procedure, and wherein the control signal toeach arm is based on the input identifying the patient approach. In anaspect, receiving an input identifying an approach comprises receivingone of a left side approach, a right side approach, and a leg approach.In an aspect, outputting a control signal to each arm comprisesoutputting a control signal to raise each arm of the plurality ofmotorized surgical arms to a position for advancing over a patient on asurgical bed. In an aspect, the teleoperational assembly comprises aboom and an platform portion rotatably connected to the boom, themotorized surgical arms extending from the platform portion, furthercomprising outputting a control signal to the platform portion to rotatethe platform portion relative to the boom in response to the inputreceived at the input device. In an aspect, the plurality of motorizedsurgical arms each have a total range of motion and the pre-establishedposition for each surgical arm is within a range of 30-70% of the totalrange of motion.

In an exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a methodof controlling arms of a teleoperational medical system. The methodincludes receiving an anatomical input identifying a portion of apatient's anatomy to be treated in a surgical procedure; receiving anapproach input identifying an approach to the patient to be treated inthe surgical procedure; and outputting a control signal to each arm of aplurality of motorized surgical arms of a teleoperational assembly tomove each arm of the plurality of motorized surgical arms to apre-established position based on both the anatomical input identifyinga portion of the patient's anatomy and the approach input identifyingthe approach to the patient.

In an aspect, the method includes receiving an actuating input at a userinterface to move all arms of a plurality of motorized surgical arms ofa teleoperational assembly to the pre-established position, whereinoutputting a control to each arm is in response to the actuating input.In an aspect, outputting the control to each arm occurs only while theactuating input is being received.

These and other embodiments are further discussed below with respect tothe following figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isemphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in theindustry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, thedimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased orreduced for clarity of discussion. In addition, the present disclosuremay repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples.This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and doesnot in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodimentsand/or configurations discussed.

FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary teleoperational medical systemaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate exemplary components of ateleoperational medical system according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1B illustrates a front elevationview of an exemplary teleoperational assembly according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1C illustrates a frontelevation view of an exemplary operator input system according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1D illustrates a front view of an exemplary vision cart componentaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1E illustrates an arm of the exemplary teleoperational assembly ofFIG. 1B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flow chart showing phases of a guidedsetup system disclosed herein according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates various states of operation making up a part of theguided setup system disclosed herein according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates the exemplary teleoperational assembly of FIG. 1B ina preset and automatically assumed draping pose according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A illustrates the exemplary teleoperational assembly of FIG. 1B ina preset and automatically assumed docking pose according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5B-5F illustrates the exemplary teleoperational assembly of FIG.1B in various top views of preset and automatically assumed dockingposes relative to a patient according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates the exemplary teleoperational assembly of FIG. 1B ina preset and automatically assumed stowed pose according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are flow charts that illustrate an exemplary methodof setting the teleoperational medical system using the guided setupsystem according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary screen image of a touchpad userinterface during the guided setup according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary screen image of a touchscreen monitoruser interface during the guided setup according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate an exemplary screen image of a touchpad userinterface during the guided setup according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate exemplary screen images of the touchscreenmonitor user interface during the guided setup according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate an exemplary screen image of a touchpad userinterface during the guided setup according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary screen image of a touchscreen monitoruser interface during the guided setup according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of thepresent disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used todescribe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitationof the scope of the disclosure is intended. In the following detaileddescription, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it willbe obvious to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of thisdisclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits havenot been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspectsof the embodiments of the disclosure.

Any alterations and further modifications to the described devices,instruments, methods, and any further application of the principles ofthe present disclosure are fully contemplated as would normally occur toone skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates. In particular,it is fully contemplated that the features, components, and/or stepsdescribed with respect to one embodiment may be combined with thefeatures, components, and/or steps described with respect to otherembodiments of the present disclosure. The numerous iterations of thesecombinations will not be described separately. In addition, dimensionsprovided herein are for specific examples and it is contemplated thatdifferent sizes, dimensions, and/or ratios may be utilized to implementthe concepts of the present disclosure. To avoid needless descriptiverepetition, one or more components or actions described in accordancewith one illustrative embodiment can be used or omitted as applicablefrom other illustrative embodiments. For simplicity, in some instancesthe same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer tothe same or like parts.

The present disclosure relates generally to a guided setup system for ateleoperational medical system that may be arranged to perform a roboticsurgery. The guided setup system is configured to provide instructionsfor the non-sterile and sterile OR staff interacting with the differentcomponents of the teleoperational medical system.

It progresses through a series of prompts, in recommended order, inpreparation for surgery. For example, the guided setup system mayprovide visual and auditory feedback to users at a teleoperationalassembly touchpad interface, as well as complementary feedback on avision cart touchscreen interface, so users may access the guidanceinformation from a variety of locations within the operating room.

Despite its series of prompts, the guided setup allows for flexibilityin following the instructions, such as allowing users to skipnon-essential steps, using manual controls to perform the same actions,or performing steps in a non-standard order. In addition, the guidedsetup is aware of the state of the teleoperational medical system, andresponds with appropriate guidance when users perform a variety ofactivities, including, for example, draping the arms, connectingcannulas, and installing instruments. It may also accommodate workflowswhere events may occur in a non-standard order, for example, whenmultiple people are involved in preparing the teleoperational medicalsystem for surgery, or when advanced users choose to perform stepsdifferently to accommodate their particular needs. It may also allow theusers to change options at any point and allow the system to be deployedand stowed at non-standard times to accommodate user errors orunanticipated clinical situations. The exemplary guided setup systemdisclosed herein leads users through phases of draping, docking, andtargeting the patient prior to surgery.

According to various embodiments, the guided setup provides instructionsrelating to a teleoperational system to guide instrument delivery andoperation for minimally invasive medical procedures. Referring to FIG.1A of the drawings, a teleoperational medical system for use in, forexample, medical procedures including diagnostic, therapeutic, orsurgical procedures, is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10.As will be described, the teleoperational medical systems of thisdisclosure are under the teleoperational control of a surgeon. Inalternative embodiments, a teleoperational medical system may be underthe partial control of a computer programmed to perform the procedure orsub-procedure. In still other alternative embodiments, a fully automatedmedical system, under the full control of a computer programmed toperform the procedure or sub-procedure, may be used to performprocedures or sub-procedures. As shown in FIG. 1, the teleoperationalmedical system 10 generally includes a teleoperational assembly 12 nearor mounted to an operating table O on which a patient P is positioned.The teleoperational assembly 12 may be referred to as a patient-sidemanipulator (PSM). A medical instrument system 14 is operably coupled toand forms a part of the teleoperational assembly 12. An operator inputsystem 16 allows a surgeon or other type of clinician S to view imagesof or representing the surgical site and to control the operation of themedical instrument system 14. The operator input system 16 may bereferred to as a master or surgeon's console. One example of ateleoperational surgical system that can be used to implement thesystems and techniques described in this disclosure is a da Vinci®Surgical System manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. of Sunnyvale,Calif.

The teleoperational assembly 12 and its medical instrument system 14 mayinclude a kinematic structure of one or more non-servo controlled links(e.g., one or more links that may be manually positioned and locked inplace, generally referred to as a set-up structure) and ateleoperational manipulator. (See, e.g., FIG. 2) The teleoperationalassembly 12 includes a plurality of motors that drive inputs on themedical instrument system 14. These motors move in response to commandsfrom a control system 22. The motors include drive systems which whencoupled to the medical instrument system 14 may advance the medicalinstrument into a naturally or surgically created anatomical orifice.Other motorized drive systems may move the distal end of the medicalinstrument in multiple degrees of freedom, which may include threedegrees of linear motion (e.g., linear motion along the X, Y, ZCartesian axes) and in three degrees of rotational motion (e.g.,rotation about the X, Y, Z Cartesian axes). Additionally, the motors canbe used to actuate an articulable end effector of the instrument. Theteleoperational assembly 12 may be configured and arranged to sense,such as detect, calculate, or otherwise determine the position of eachmotor and/or each arm. The teleoperational assembly 12 includes a userinterface configured to receive information from and convey informationto a user. In some embodiments, the user interface is a touchpadinterface that may present information to the user during guided setupof the teleoperational medical system 10. The teleoperational assembly12 includes elements 26, such as sensors, switches, encoders, and/orother components that sense the arrangement of components of theteleoperational assembly. The arrangement may include the presence orabsence of components as provided in the examples below or may includethe physical relative position of components. The control system 22 isoperatively linked to the touchpad, sensors, motors, actuators,encoders, hydraulic flow systems, and other components of theteleoperational assembly 12, the operator input system 16 and to animage capture system 18. The image capture system 18 includes an imagecapture device, such as an endoscope that may be carried on the medicalinstrument system 14 of the teleoperational assembly 12, and relatedimage processing hardware and software.

The operator input system 16 may be located at a surgeon's console,which is usually located in the same room as operating table O. Itshould be understood, however, that the surgeon S can be located in adifferent room or a completely different building from the patient P.Operator input system 16 generally includes one or more controldevice(s) for controlling the medical instrument system 14. Morespecifically, in response to the surgeon's input commands, the controlsystem 22 effects servomechanical movement of the medical instrumentsystem 14. The control device(s) may include one or more of any numberof a variety of input devices, such as hand grips, joysticks,trackballs, data gloves, trigger-guns, hand-operated controllers,foot-operated controllers, voice recognition devices, touchscreens, bodymotion or presence sensors, and the like. In some embodiments, thecontrol device(s) will be provided with the same degrees of freedom asthe medical instruments of the teleoperational assembly to provide thesurgeon with telepresence, the perception that the control device(s) areintegral with the instruments so that the surgeon has a strong sense ofdirectly controlling instruments as if present at the surgical site. Inother embodiments, the control device(s) may have more or fewer degreesof freedom than the associated medical instruments and still provide thesurgeon with telepresence. In some embodiments, the control device(s)are manual input devices which move with six degrees of freedom, andwhich may also include an actuatable handle for actuating instruments(for example, for closing grasping jaws, applying an electricalpotential to an electrode, delivering a medicinal treatment, and thelike).

The system operator sees images, captured by the image capture system18, presented for viewing on a display system 20 operatively coupled toor incorporated into the operator input system 16. The display system 20displays an image or representation of the surgical site and medicalinstrument system(s) 14 as generated by sub-systems of the image capturesystem 18. The display system 20 and the operator input system 16 may beoriented so the operator can control the medical instrument system 14and the operator input system 16 with the perception of telepresence.The display system 20 may include multiple displays such as separateright and left displays for presenting separate images to each eye ofthe operator, thus allowing the operator to view stereo images.

Alternatively or additionally, display system 20 may present images ofthe surgical site recorded and/or imaged preoperatively orintra-operatively using imaging technology such as computerizedtomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluoroscopy,thermography, ultrasound, optical coherence tomography (OCT), thermalimaging, impedance imaging, laser imaging, nanotube X-ray imaging, andthe like. The presented preoperative or intra-operative images mayinclude two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or four-dimensional(including, e.g., time based or velocity based information) images andassociated image data sets for reproducing the images.

The control system 22 includes at least one memory and at least oneprocessor (not shown), and typically a plurality of processors, foreffecting control between the teleoperational system 12, medicalinstrument system 14, the operator input system 16, the image capturesystem 18, and the display system 20. The control system 22 alsoincludes programmed instructions (e.g., a computer-readable mediumstoring the instructions) to implement some or all of the methodsdescribed in accordance with aspects disclosed herein. While controlsystem 22 is shown as a single contained element in FIG. 1, the systemmay include two or more data processing circuits with one portion of theprocessing optionally being performed on or adjacent the teleoperationalassembly 12, another portion of the processing being performed at theoperator input system 16, and the like. Any of a wide variety ofcentralized or distributed data processing architectures may beemployed. Similarly, the programmed instructions may be implemented as anumber of separate programs or subroutines, or they may be integratedinto a number of other aspects of the teleoperational systems describedherein. In one embodiment, control system 22 supports wirelesscommunication protocols such as Bluetooth, IrDA, HomeRF, IEEE 802.11,DECT, and Wireless Telemetry.

The control system 22 also includes a user interface that is configuredto receive information from and convey information to a user. In theembodiments described herein, the user interface is a touchscreenmonitor that may present prompts, suggestions, and status update duringthe guided setup process. In some embodiments, the touchscreen monitoris disposed in a position in the operating room where it can be easilyseen as a user sets up the teleoperational assembly 12. This may bewithin a sterile zone of the system. In contrast, the touchpad on theteleoperational assembly 12 may be disposed at a location outside thesterile zone, and may be accessed by a non-sterile person during theguided setup. In another embodiment, both the touchpad and thetouchscreen monitor are in the sterile zone. While described as atouchscreen monitor, other embodiments include other user interfaces,including one or monitors or display screens, a keyboard, a computermouse, rollers, buttons, knobs, and other user interfaces.

The guided setup disclosed herein may be one or more computer programsexecuted on the control system 22 for dynamically assisting a user withsetup of the teleoperational assembly 12. In some embodiments, theguided setup is executed on any of a wide variety of centralized ordistributed data processing architectures. It may also be implemented asa number of separate programs or subroutines, or may be integrated intoa number of other aspects of the teleoperational systems describedherein.

In some embodiments, the control system 22 may include one or more servocontrollers that receive force and/or torque feedback from theteleoperational assembly 12. Responsive to the feedback, the servocontrollers transmit signals to the operator input system 16. The servocontroller(s) may also transmit signals instructing teleoperationalassembly 12 to move the medical instrument system(s) 14 which extendinto an internal surgical site within the patient body via openings inthe body. Any suitable conventional or specialized servo controller maybe used. A servo controller may be separate from, or integrated with,teleoperational assembly 12. In some embodiments, the servo controllerand teleoperational assembly are provided as part of a teleoperationalarm cart positioned adjacent to the patient's body.

The teleoperational medical system 10 may further include optionaloperation and support systems (not shown) such as illumination systems,steering control systems, eye tracking systems, fluid management systemssuch as irrigation systems and/or suction systems. In alternativeembodiments, the teleoperational system may include more than oneteleoperational assembly and/or more than one operator input system. Theexact number of manipulator assemblies will depend on the surgicalprocedure and the space constraints within the operating room, amongother factors. The operator input systems may be collocated or they maybe positioned in separate locations. Multiple operator input systemsallow more than one operator to control one or more manipulatorassemblies in various combinations.

FIG. 1B shows an exemplary teleoperational assembly 100 (e.g., theteleoperational assembly 12 shown in FIG. 1A) according to oneembodiment. The assembly 100 includes an automated and motorized setupstructure that supports projecting arms, and may include a base 102 thatrests on the floor, a telescoping support column 104 that is mounted onthe base 102, a telescoping boom 105 that extends from the supportcolumn 104, and a platform portion as an orienting platform 107. Theassembly 100 also includes support beams 109, and several arms 106 thatsupport surgical tools (including portions of the image capture system18). As shown in FIG. 1B, arms 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, 106 d are instrumentarms that support and move the surgical instruments used to manipulatetissue. One of these arms 106 may be designated as a camera arm thatsupports and moves an endoscope.

FIG. 1E shows one of the arms 106 with an interchangeable surgicalinstrument 110 mounted thereon. The surgical instrument may be anendoscope mounted on the arm 106 designated as the camera arm. Theendoscope may be a stereo endoscope for capturing stereo images of thesurgical site and providing the separate stereo images to the displaysystem 20. Knowledgeable persons will appreciate that the arms thatsupport the instruments and the camera may also be supported by a baseplatform (fixed or moveable) mounted to a ceiling or wall, or in someinstances to another piece of equipment in the operating room (e.g., theoperating table). Likewise, they will appreciate that two or moreseparate bases may be used (e.g., one base supporting each arm).

As is further illustrated in FIG. 1E, the instrument 100 includes aninstrument interface 150 and an instrument shaft 152. In someembodiments, the teleoperational assembly 100 may include supports forcannulas that fix the instrument 110 with respect to the cannulas. Insome embodiments, portions of each of the instrument arms 106 may beadjustable by personnel in the operating room in order to position theinstrument with respect to a patient. Other portions of the arms 106 maybe actuated and controlled by the operator at an operator input system120 (as shown in FIG. 1C). The surgical instrument 110 associated witheach arm 106 may also be controlled by the operator at the operatorinput system 120.

In more detail, the arm 106 includes a vertical setup 160 connected viaa setup joint 162 to a distal-most setup link 164. A yaw joint 166connects the distal-most setup link 162 to a parallelogram pitchmechanism 168. The parallelogram pitch mechanism 164 includes aplurality of pitch joints 170 a, 170 b, 170 c enabling it move. A spar172 connects to the parallelogram pitch mechanism 164 at a spar joint174. Each of the setup joint 162, the yaw joint 166, the pitch joints170 a, 170 b, 170 c, and the spar joint 174 are controlled by motors,referenced herein as a setup joint motor, a yaw joint motor, pitch jointmotors, and a spar joint motor. Accordingly, the arm 106 is configuredto move in a completely motorized fashion. In this embodiment, themotors are under the control of the control system 22 and may beoperated with motors of the other arms to take desired poses that mayassist with draping, advancing over a patient, docking to surgicalinstruments, or storage, among others. In addition, encoders and sensorsassociated with each motor provide feedback to the control system 22 sothat the control system senses or detects the position, status, andsetup of the arm 106. In some embodiments, the spars 172 include sensorsto detect the presence of surgical drapes on the arms 106.

The teleoperational assembly 100 also includes a helm 111 fixed relativeto the base 102 on the support column 104 with a user interface forcontrolling the setup and operation. In some embodiments, the userinterface is a touchpad 154 capable of accepting user inputs andproviding graphical, textual, auditory, or other feedback. The touchpad154 provides features for teleoperational assembly 100 activities suchas preparation for draping, docking, or stowing to help the userminimize the space it takes up in the OR. The touchpad 154 also providesa means for system fault notification and recovery. In some embodiments,the touchpad 154 is disposed along the support column 104 and isconfigured to be viewed by a user in the operating room. In otherembodiments, the touchpad or other user interface is disposed elsewhere.It may be wired or wireless and may be disposed within bag or elsewherefor sterile use. The touchpad 154 in this embodiment is configured todisplay informational data relating to status of the teleoperationalassembly 100, information relating to particular surgical procedures,and information relating to the overall teleoperational medical system10. In some embodiments, the touchpad 154 is a touchpad displayinterface that presents information and accepts user inputs. As such, auser may input control instructions, including setup instructions, atthe touchpad.

FIG. 1C is a front elevation view of an operator input system 120 (e.g.,the operator input system 16 shown in FIG. 1A). The operator inputsystem 120 includes a console 121 equipped with left and right multipledegree-of-freedom (DOF) control interfaces 122 a and 122 b, which arekinematic chains that are used to control the surgical instruments 110including the endoscope. The surgeon grasps a pincher assembly 124 a,124 b on each of control interfaces 122, typically with the thumb andforefinger, and can move the pincher assembly to various positions andorientations. When a tool control mode is selected, each of controlinterfaces 122 is configured to control a corresponding surgicalinstrument and instrument arm 106. For example, a left control interface122 a may be coupled to control the instrument arm 106 a and itsassociated surgical instrument 110, and a right control interface 122 bmay be coupled to the control instrument arm 106 b and its associatedsurgical instrument 110. If the third instrument arm 106 c is usedduring a surgical procedure and is positioned on the left side, thenleft control interface 122 a can be switched from controlling the arm106 a and its associated surgical instrument 110 to controlling the arm106 c and its associated surgical instrument 110. Likewise, if the thirdinstrument arm 106 c is used during a surgical procedure and ispositioned on the right side, then the right control interface 122 a canbe switched from controlling the arm 106 b and its associated surgicalinstrument 110 to controlling the arm 106 c and its associated surgicalinstrument 110. In some instances, control assignments between thecontrol interfaces 122 a, 122 b and combination of arm 106 a/surgicalinstrument and combination of arm 106 b/surgical instrument may also beexchanged. This may be done, for example, if the endoscope is rolled 180degrees, so that the instrument moving in the endoscope's field of viewappears to be on the same side as the control interface the surgeon ismoving. The pincher assembly is typically used to operate a jawedsurgical end effector (e.g., scissors, grasping retractor, and the like)at the distal end of a surgical instrument 110.

Additional controls are provided with foot pedals 128. Each of footpedals 128 can activate certain functionality on the selected one ofinstruments 110. For example, foot pedals 128 can activate a drill or acautery tool or may operate irrigation, suction, or other functions.Multiple instruments can be activated by depressing multiple ones ofpedals 128. Certain functionality of instruments 110 may be activated byother controls.

The surgeon's console 120 also includes a stereo image viewer system 126(e.g., the display system 20 shown in FIG. 1A). Stereo image viewersystem 126 includes a left eyepiece 125 a and a right eyepiece 125 b, sothat the surgeon may view left and right stereo images using thesurgeon's left and right eyes respectively inside the stereo imageviewer system 126. Left side and right side images captured by endoscope112 are outputted on corresponding left and right image displays, whichthe surgeon perceives as a three-dimensional image on a display system(e.g., the display system 20 shown in FIG. 1A). In an advantageousconfiguration, the control interfaces 122 are positioned below stereoimage viewer system 126 so that the images of the surgical tools shownin the display appear to be located near the surgeon's hands below thedisplay. This feature allows the surgeon to intuitively control thevarious surgical instruments in the three-dimensional display as ifwatching the hands directly. Accordingly, the servo control of theassociated instrument arm and instrument is based on the endoscopicimage reference frame.

The endoscopic image reference frame is also used if the controlinterfaces 122 are switched to a camera control mode. In some cases, ifthe camera control mode is selected, the surgeon may move the distal endof endoscope 112 by moving one or both of the control interfaces 122together. The surgeon may then intuitively move (e.g., pan, tilt, zoom)the displayed stereoscopic image by moving the control interfaces 122 asif holding the image in his or her hands.

As is further shown in FIG. 1C, a headrest 130 is positioned abovestereo image viewer system 126. As the surgeon is looking through stereoimage viewer system 126, the surgeon's forehead is positioned againstheadrest 130. In some embodiments of the present disclosure,manipulation of endoscope 112 or other surgical instruments can beachieved through manipulation of headrest 130 instead of utilization ofthe control interfaces 122.

FIG. 1D is a front view of a vision cart component 140 of a surgicalsystem. For example, in one embodiment, the vision cart component 140 ispart of the medical system 10 shown in FIG. 1A. The vision cart 140 canhouse the surgical system's central electronic data processing unit 142(e.g., all or portions of control system 22 shown in FIG. 1A) and visionequipment 144 (e.g., portions of the image capture system 18 shown inFIG. 1A). The central electronic data processing unit 142 includes muchof the data processing used to operate the surgical system. In variousimplementations, however, the electronic data processing may bedistributed in the surgeon console 120 and teleoperational assembly 100.The vision equipment 144 may include camera control units for the leftand right image capture functions of the endoscope 112. The visionequipment 144 may also include illumination equipment (e.g., a Xenonlamp) that provides illumination for imaging the surgical site. As shownin FIG. 1D, the vision cart 140 includes an optional touchscreen monitor146 (for example a 24-inch monitor), which may be mounted elsewhere,such as on the assembly 100 or on a patient side cart. The vision cart140 further includes space 148 for optional auxiliary surgicalequipment, such as electrosurgical units, insufflators, suctionirrigation instruments, or third-party cautery equipment. Theteleoperational assembly 100 and the surgeon's console 120 are coupled,for example, via optical fiber communications links to the vision cart140 so that the three components together act as a single teleoperatedminimally invasive surgical system that provides an intuitivetelepresence for the surgeon.

The touchscreen monitor 146 may form a user interface that providesstatus and prompts during the guided setup process described herein.While a touchscreen monitor is shown, it is worth noting that othertypes of user interfaces may be used, including those described abovewith reference to the touchpad 154. It is worth noting that some guidedsetup processes receive no user inputs at the user interface because thesystem is arranged to sense or otherwise recognize when a setup step iscomplete. Accordingly, in some embodiments the user interface is merelya display that does not receive user inputs. Additional details andembodiments of the surgical system 10 are described in U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. US 2013/0325033 A1 (filed May 31, 2013) andU.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0325031 A1 (filed May31, 2013), both of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

Note that in some embodiments, some or all of the assembly 100 of theteleoperated surgical system can be implemented in a virtual (simulated)environment, wherein some or all of the image seen by the surgeon at thesurgeon's console 120 can be synthetic images of instruments and/oranatomy. In some embodiments, such synthetic imagery can be provided bythe vision cart component 140 and/or directly generated at the surgeon'sconsole 120 (e.g., via a simulation module).

Not surprisingly, the teleoperated surgical system 10 described withreference to FIGS. 1A-1E may require some level of setup prior toperforming a minimally invasive surgical procedure. The exemplaryembodiments disclosed herein may utilize all or a part of the guidedsetup process implemented by the central electronic data processing unit142. The guided setup process may be a machine augmented andconfiguration dependent guided walkthrough. It may dynamically recognizeinputs and provide guidance and prompts to users to perform varioussetup actions. The prompted setup actions are based on the user's priorselected inputs, and based on sensed system configurations of theteleoperational assembly 100. For example, the system may sense theposition of the arms 106, may sense whether an instrument, such as theendoscope is attached, whether the arms 106 are draped and in a sterilecondition, and other sensed configurations. Because it takes intoaccount the sensed teleoperational assembly configuration, the guidedwalk-through process may recognize when each setup step is completethrough an automated process, when a setup step is complete through amanual process, when a user is intending to skip a setup step, and whena setup step does not need to be completed and need not be presented toa user. Accordingly, the guided setup may dynamically guide a userthrough the setup process to maintain a safe, yet efficient setupprocess that may differ even among similar types of surgeries. That is,the guided setup may have a different setup sequence among similarsurgeries based on the sensed teleoperational assembly configurationsand the setup that occurs when users perform setup steps out order. Assuch, many flexible setup options may be presented.

With visual prompts appearing on the touchpad 154 of the teleoperationalassembly 100 and the touchscreen monitor 146 of the vision cartcomponent 140, as well as auditory indication, the guided setup providescontext sensitive step-by-step guidance to users. The guided setup mayaid users in being efficient and effective during setup activities.However, the use of the guided setup is not required to achieve areasonable setup, and may be simply ignored by a surgeon if desired. Forexample, users are free to perform setup activities in a different orderif they choose, or they may choose a non-standard configuration for thesystem that might be appropriate for a particular clinical situation.

Because setup may involve users interacting with the controls at theteleoperational assembly touchpad 154, as well as with the vision carttouchscreen 146, relevant guidance is provided on both theteleoperational assembly touchpad 154 and the vision cart touchscreenmonitor 146.

The guided setup process may be divided into three general setup phases,set forth in FIG. 2. These three identified phases are used to assist inexplanation of the guided setup system, but are not intended to betreated as necessarily separate from the other phases, as the threeidentified phases overlap and share some common traits. The threegeneral phases are the draping phase 202, the docking phase 204, and thetargeting phase 206.

Each of the phases in FIG. 2 may encompass a number of statesrepresenting particular stages of the guided setup process. Each statemay be associated with a step or a particular physical arrangement ofthe teleoperational assembly 100. The guided setup process advances theuser from state to state until the setup process is complete. When thestep or arrangement for a particular state has been met, the guidedsetup may proceed to the next state, defining the next setup processstep.

Since the central electronic data processing unit 142 receives inputsindicative of sensed teleoperational assembly configurations, thecentral electronic data processing unit 142 recognizes when a state iscomplete. Therefore, the central electronic data processing unit 142 mayadvance the guided setup to the next state without any input at a userinterface by a user. In addition, a user may override or skip one ormore states or parts of states of the guided setup by simply placing theteleoperational assembly 100 in a configuration associated with a statefarther along in the guided setup process. The central electronic dataprocessing unit 142 will then sense the new configuration and identifythe relevant state corresponding to the configuration. The context ofthe configuration determines what the system infers is the state and thenext required action. If the system determines that a user appears tohave skipped a state that is identified in the system as beingespecially important, the system will output a reminder. However, if theuser continues after receiving the reminder, the system will continueand permit the user to move the next state based on the sensedconfiguration.

In the exemplary embodiment described herein, the states includeassociated instructions and prompts that are displayed on two userinterface screens: the touchpad 154 on the teleoperational assembly 100and the touchscreen monitor 146 on the vision cart component 140.However, other embodiments employ a single user interface, while yetother embodiments include even more user interfaces. In the exemplaryembodiment shown, particular prompts associated with particular statesare shown on one interface screen or the other depending on the stateand the next action to be taken. For example, some prompts appear onlyon the touchpad 154 because the prompts relate to states for setup ofthe teleoperational assembly 100 that may be performed at a non-sterilefield. Other prompts appear solely on the touchscreen monitor 146because the prompts relate to states requiring attention in the sterilefield. However, the prompts on both the touchscreen monitor 146 and thetouchpad 154 are coordinated so that a user advances through the phasesin FIG. 2 in a coordinated manner Some embodiments include audio andvoice prompts in addition to visual prompts. Some embodiments permit auser to customize preferences, such as setting the system in a silentmode.

FIG. 3 illustrates a series of exemplary states associated with screenprompts on both the touchscreen monitor 146 and the touchpad 154. Theprompts associated with the states help a user advance through eachphase (FIG. 2) to complete the guided setup of the teleoperationalmedical system 10. The column on the left lists a number of exemplarystates having screen prompts that may be displayed on the touchpad 154on the teleoperational assembly 100. The column on the right lists anumber of exemplary states having screen prompts that may be displayedon the touchscreen monitor 146 on the vision cart component 140. In FIG.3, the lines around each state correspond to one of the phases in FIG.2. For example, the states in dotted lines are states forming thedraping phase 202 in FIG. 2; the states in solid lines form the dockingphase 204 in FIG. 2; and the states in dashed lines form the targetingphase 206 in FIG. 2. Here, the states are shown in the sequential orderof the guided setup process. However, since the guided setup is dynamicand adaptable and is not held to a particular sequence, states may beskipped, may be different, and other states may be substituted for oneor more of those shown in FIG. 3.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the draping phase may include, for example, aDeploy For Draping state 252 on the touchpad 154, a Deploy For Drapingstate 254 on the touchscreen 146, a Draping state 256, a Sterile Tasksstate 258, and an Arms Back state 266. The docking phase may include,for example, a Select Anatomy state 260, a Select Approach state 262, aSelect Docking state 268, a Deploy For Docking state 270, and a DockScope Arm state 272. The targeting phase may include an Approach ThePatient state 274, a Surgery In Process state 276, a Connect Endoscopestate 278, a Targeting state 280, a Connect Remaining Arms state 282,and a Surgery In Process state 284.

The Deploy For Draping states 252, 254 and the Deploy For Docking state270 each may correspond with particular poses of the column 104, theboom 105, the arms 106, and the orienting platform 107 of theteleoperational assembly 100. In addition, a stow state, not a standardpart of the guided setup routine, may also correspond with a particularpose of the column 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, and the orientingplatform 107 of the teleoperational assembly 100. The stow state isessentially an at-rest state that is at least partially compact that maybe used when the teleoperational assembly 100 is to be set aside for aperiod of time before, during, or after any part of the surgicalprocess.

FIGS. 4, 5A-5F, and 6 show examples of different positions or posturesrelating to the different pre-established poses. For example, FIG. 4shows the teleoperational assembly 100 in a draping position; FIGS.5A-5F show the teleoperational assembly 100 in various dockingpositions; and FIG. 6 shows the teleoperational assembly 100 in a stowedposition.

In the example shown, the touchpad 154 on the teleoperational assembly100 may be used to input a command to deploy the column 104, the boom105, the arms 106, and the orienting platform 107 to the pre-establishedpositions. Other input devices are also contemplated for use to inputthe commands Accordingly, in some embodiments, the touchpad 154 includesa Deploy for Draping button, a stow button, and a Deploy for Dockingbutton, among others.

The deploy for draping position in FIG. 4 will be described withreference to planes through the column 104. Referring to FIG. 4, theplane parallel to the drawing sheet will be considered the coronal plane180 and the plane directly normal to the coronal plane is the sagittalplane 182. The front of the teleoperational assembly 100 faces thedirection of the sagittal plane 182, and the coronal plane extendsdirectly to the sides of the teleoperational assembly 100.

FIG. 4 shows the teleoperational assembly 100 in the deploy for drapingposition. The deploy for draping position is a posture automaticallytaken by the teleoperational assembly when the arms 106 and/or column104 are to be draped. As used herein, a posture automatically takenencompasses movement achieved by a single instantaneous input or througha continuous input such as a continuously pressed button. In continuousinput embodiments, the teleoperational assembly moves only while thebutton is pressed, stopping all movement when the button is no longerpressed. This permits a user to immediately halt movement when necessaryfor safety or other reasons. In some embodiments, the deploy for drapingposition is taken only when a user inputs a command to take the deployfor draping position, such as by selecting a deploy for draping button.

As can be seen in this exemplary position, the column 104 extends sothat the arms are at a height convenient to be accessed by a person ofaverage height. In some embodiments, the spars 172 are disposed so thattheir upper ends are at a height in a range of about 54 inches to 66inches. However, other heights are also contemplated. The verticalsetups 160 are partially extended from the support beams 109 carried bythe orienting platform 107. The arms 106 are each partially extended inthe direction of the sagittal plane so that each element of the arms106, including the vertical setup 160, the distal-most setup link 164,the parallelogram pitch mechanism 168, and the spar 172 may beindividually draped with sterile drapes. The deploy for draping posepositions the spars 172 for sufficient inter-arm spacing prior todraping. The spacing permits a folded drape to be placed on an arm andused as a sterile barrier to activate arm control modes so that asterile user may further extend the arm into available space in theoperating room. In this embodiment, the spars 172 are posed to be spacedfrom adjacent spars slightly more at the top of the spars and slightlyless at the bottom of the spars. Accordingly, the outermost spars 172are angled the most relative to the sagittal plane 182. This mayaccommodate the additional drape material that may be placed over thetops of the spars 172. In addition, each spar 172 is angled in thesagittal plane direction with the top of the spar 172 being spacedfurther from the coronal plane than the bottom of the spar 172 so thatthe user may more easily connect the drapes to the spar 172. In someembodiments, the user may be able to see the top portion of the spar 172so that the drapes can be properly disposed to activate drapery sensorson the spar 172 that recognize the presence of the drapes on the arms106. The arms 106 in the draping position in FIG. 4 generally face inthe forward or sagittal direction so that the user can access all arms106 from the front, instead of accessing arms 106 a and 106 d extendingto the sides. The exemplary draping position shown in FIG. 4 ispartially compact to accommodate instances where the teleoperationalassembly 100 is draped within an operating room that does not haveunlimited space for access. In addition, the proximity of the armsadjacent each other provides sufficient space for draping while havingthe arms close enough together for efficient draping.

In an exemplary aspect, when a deploy for draping process is initiated,the central electronic data processing unit 142, which may includemultiple control systems about the teleoperational medical system 10,controls the arms 106 to place them in a draping position. The drapingposition may be obtained via a series of sequential movements of theteleoperational assembly 100. For example, the sequential movements mayinclude a boom movement, an arm deployment movement, and a verticalsetup joint movement. The boom movement may include raising the boom toa preset height set for draping convenience. The arm deployment movementmay then follow without additional input or may automatically follow asa result of a continuous input at a button, for example. The armdeployment movement may include extending the arms 106 and arranging thespars 172 in the manner discussed above. The vertical setup jointmovement follows the arm deployment movement and includes adjusting thevertical setup joint 164 in the manner discussed above.

FIG. 5 shows the teleoperational assembly 100 in the docking position.The docking position is the posture taken when the user has selected thegeneral anatomical region to be treated and the approach to the patient(e.g., the left or right side of the patient). With the teleoperationalassembly 100 in the docking position, it can be moved over the patient.In this driving position, the arms are slightly retracted, the spars areoriented upright in preparation for docking to cannulae, the column 104is extended to raise the boom 105 and arms 106 high above the patienttable. In addition, the vertical setup 160 is lifted so that arms 106are high enough to clear the patient when the teleoperational assemblyis advanced over the patient. The deploy for docking process alsoadjusts the distal setup joint 162 for the selected anatomical region tobe treated. This joint is intelligently set based on anatomy andapproach direction to provide adequate clearance upon rollup while beingclose to the optimal setting for surgery. For example, an outer arm 106that does not need to pass-over the patient can be deployed low formaximum instrument reach whereas an outer arm that has to pass-over thepatient may be deployed at a medium height to ensure adequate patientclearance upon rollup. At the same time, depending on the anatomicalregion to be treated and the approach selected, the orienting platform107 and the support beams 109 may also be controlled. In someembodiments, one or more joints may be passively controlled andun-motorized, while in other embodiments, all the joints are motorizedand controlled for purposes of guided setup.

In an exemplary aspect, when a deploy for docking process is initiated,the central electronic data processing unit 142, which may includemultiple control systems about the teleoperational medical system 10,controls the arms 106 to place them in a docking position. The dockingposition may be dependent on the anatomical region to be treated and onthe patient approach. In some aspects, the deploy for docking processincludes a series of sequential movements to obtain the docking pose.For example, the sequential movements may include an arm deploymentmovement, a vertical setup joint movement, a boom movement, a platformmovement, and an arm re-deployment movement.

The arm deployment movement includes tucking the arms in a configurationso that the arms are relatively compact, with the spars 172 in arelatively vertical position. As indicated above, depending on theapproach, (whether a patient's right side, a patient's left side, or apatient's leg approach, for example), the height of the arms are set amaximum height, with the setup joint angle optimized on a per arm basisto tradeoff clearance vs. reach. For example, the height of an arm thatwill not pass over the patient is deployed low for maximum instrumentreach, and with the height of an arm that has to pass-over the patientis deployed at a medium clearance to provide sufficient reach whileensuring adequate patient clearance upon rollup.

When the arms are finished moving, the vertical setup joint movementtakes place without a separate input. For example in continuous inputembodiments, based on the same continuous input, the teleoperationassembly begins the vertical setup joint movement. In this movement, thevertical setup joint 160 retracts fully to raise the proximal portion ofthe arms to their highest elevation to provide clearance for the arms.When the vertical setup joint movement is complete, the system performsthe boom movement without additional user input. That is using the sameinput, such as the continuous input, the system manipulates the boom.The boom movement may include raising the boom with the telescopingcolumn 104. The platform movement follows the boom movement and includesrotating the platform to the target orientation. This is based on theselected approach and different platform movements are shown in FIGS.5B-5F. After the platform movement, the arms 106 are redeployed to aconvenient position for docking to the cannula associated with thepatient. This may include placing the spars 172 in an upright positionand orienting the distal-most setup link 164 to a preset conditionassociated with the selected approach and anatomical region.

Some embodiments permit a user to raise the boom to a height greaterthan the default height associated with any selected anatomical regionand approach combination. This adjusted height may then be used as afloor for the remainder of the deploy sequence. Thus, when a patient islarger than a typical patient or when the patient is higher than atypical patient, the system may compensate all the movements in thedeploy process by a simple adjustment of the height.

FIGS. 5B-5F show different docking positions that may be taken based onthe user's inputs. For example, FIG. 5B shows an approach where theteleoperational assembly is approaching from the patient's left side andthe treatment region may be in the lower anatomical regions of thepatient. Fig. FIG. 5C shows an approach where the teleoperationalassembly is approaching from the patient's left side and the treatmentregion may be in an upper anatomical region of the patient. FIG. 5Cshows an approach where the teleoperational assembly is approaching fromthe patient's right side and the treatment region may be in a loweranatomical region of the patient. FIG. 5D shows an approach where theteleoperational assembly is approaching from the patient's right sideand the treatment region may be in an upper anatomical region of thepatient. FIG. 5F shows an approach where the teleoperational assembly isapproaching from the patient's legs and the treatment region may be in alower anatomical region of the patient.

FIG. 6 shows the teleoperational assembly 100 in the stow position. Thecompact stow position minimizes the space occupied by theteleoperational assembly in the operating room. Accordingly, in thisposition, all the arms 106 are tightly compacted against the column 104,the boom 105 is retracted as far as possible while accommodating thearms 106, and the column 104 is fully telescoped to make theteleoperational assembly as small as possible. Here, the orientingplatform is rotated to allow the support beams 109 to extend from theorienting platform 107 in the rearward direction so that they have aminimal footprint.

In an exemplary aspect, when the stow process is initiated, the centralelectronic data processing unit 142, which may include multiple controlsystems about the teleoperational medical system 10, places theteleoperational assembly 100 in the stow position. This may be done asdiscussed above through a continuous input, or may occur through asingle instantaneous input. In some aspects, the stow position isachieved via a series of sequential movements. For example, thesequential movements may include a platform movement, a vertical setupjoint movement, an arm retract movement, and a boom movement.

The platform movement includes rotating the platform to a straightforward facing position. The vertical setup joint movement raises thevertical setup joint 164 to move the arms close to the boom. The armretract movement then retracts the arms 106 so that the arms arelaterally packed together, with two arms 106 on each side of the column104. The boom movement then fully lowers the boom to a compact position,to create a small, compact footprint in the operating room. In apreferred embodiment, the arms 106 are positioned in an arrangement tofit within the footprint of the base 102.

Some embodiments result in a staggered arrangement that includes asecond arm, such as arm 106 b, being disposed in front of the column,its adjacent, first arm, such as arm 106 a, flexed and disposed closeby, the with a third arm, such as arm 106 c, pushed all the way back andagainst the right side the column 104, and a fourth arm, such as arm 106d, flexed close the third arm and rotated inward.

Some embodiments include a separate sterile stow position. This positionis also a position that minimizes the footprint, but is intended toaccommodate the column 104 and arms 106 while they are covered withsterile drapes. In this position, the arms 106 are brought together in amanner that minimizes their obtrusiveness in the operating room, butstill maintains the sterile drapes in a clean and undamaged condition.The sterile stow position, therefore may be the stow position when theteleoperational system 10 detects that the arms 106 and/or column 104are covered in sterile drapes.

In some embodiments, the central electronic data processing unit 142controls the movement of the column 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, andthe orienting platform 107 by controlling the motors associated witheach to move them to the desired positions. In some embodiments, theteleoperational assembly 100 includes its own supervisor and controllersso the deploy for draping, deploy for docking, and stow functions can beperformed even when the teleoperational assembly 100 is used standalone(e.g. preparing for transport). In response to a command initiated at auser interface, such as the touchpad 154, supervisor logic in thecentral electronic data processing unit 142 outputs control signals tomove the column 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, and the orientingplatform 107 into the desired poses. In some aspects, the centralelectronic data processing unit 142 includes algorithms for sequencingor otherwise coordinating the motion of the arms 106 in a manner thatproactively avoids collisions of arms and setup joints with the column.In some aspects, the central electronic data processing unit 142monitors the joint motion during automated moves to mitigate collisionswith objects, such as an operation table, for example. As explainedbelow, the pre-established poses may be associated with different phasesor states of the guided setup system.

FIGS. 7A-7C show an exemplary method of using a guided setup performedby the teleoperational medical system 10. The method in FIG. 7 begins bydisplaying the prompts of the guided setup in the draping phase 202 inFIG. 2, then advances to the docking phase 204, and ultimately advancesthrough the targeting phase 206. In some exemplary embodiments, thetouchpad 154 includes a selectable guided setup feature button thatinitiates the process. Accordingly, after the user selects or initiatesthe guided setup, the system prompts the user to complete the varioussteps in the draping phase.

The method begins at 302 in the Deploy For Draping state 252, 254 bydisplaying a deploy for draping prompt on both the touchpad 154 and thetouchscreen monitor 146. FIG. 8 shows an exemplary guided setup userinterface on the touchpad 154 with the home tab selected. The userinterface 220 includes, example shown, a plurality of selectable buttons522, a guided setup screen prompt 524, and a select anatomy expandablemenu 526. The selectable buttons 522 in this embodiment include a“deploy for draping” button 528, a “stow” button 530, and an “EnableJoysticks” button 532. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary guided setup userinterface on the touchscreen monitor 146. As can be seen, it refers theuser to the touchpad 154 on the teleoperational assembly 100 to initiatethe guided setup and deploy the teleoperational assembly 100 (FIG. 1B)for draping. The touchscreen monitor 146 includes an explanatory image534 and a text prompt 536. The touchscreen monitor 146 may also performother functions or may be in a state of rest. In some embodiments, theboth touchscreen monitor 146 and the touchpad 154 may be in a similarstate, and may display a similar prompt.

Referring to FIG. 8, the user has the option to press the deploy fordraping button 528 to initiate the automatic process of deploying thecolumn 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, and the orienting platform 107in the deploy for draping configuration shown in FIG. 4. In someembodiments, the column 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, and theorienting platform 107 move only while the button 528 is pressed ortouched on the touchpad 154. This may enable the user to stop movementof the column 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, and the orientingplatform 107 simply by removing a finger from the button 528. When thebutton is pressed, the central electronic data processing unit 142generates and sends command signals to the teleoperational assembly 100that also avoids arm collisions or contact as explained above.

The user also has the option to select the stow button 530. This wouldautomatically deploy the teleoperational assembly 100 to the stewposition shown in FIG. 6. Again, movement may occur only while thebutton 530 is pressed or touched on the touchpad 154.

In preferred embodiments, the teleoperational system 10 is configured torecognize via sensors or switches when sterile drapes are properlyinstalled on any of the support column 104, the boom 105, and arms 106.It is also configured to recognize via sensors, encoders, or otherdevices, the position of the support column 104, the boom 105, and arms106.

At 304 in FIG. 7A, the central electronic data processing unit 142queries whether any of the arms 106 are draped, whether the supportcolumn 104 is draped, whether the teleoperational assembly 100 isDeployed for Draping (meaning in the deployed for draping position shownin FIG. 4), or whether the arms 106 are disabled. If none of the listedconditions are met at 304, then there is no change in the systemscreens, and the touchpad 154 and touchscreen monitor 146 are maintainedin the Deploy For Draping state 252, 254. As such, the touchpad 154continues to display the “deploy for draping” prompt at 524 in FIG. 8.However, if any of the conditions are met, then the guided setup systemcan automatically advance to the next setup state without receiving aspecific user input to advance the setup process.

As indicated above, the guided setup dynamically provides setup guidanceto a user, but also permits the user to setup the system withoutfollowing the guidance if desired. In this embodiment, the user mayplace the arms 106 into the position suitable for draping using the“deploy for draping” button, or alternatively, may manually begin thedraping process regardless of the positions of the arms. Therefore, forexample, if the user were to control the arms using the operator inputsystem 120 (FIG. 1C) or were to manually grasp and displace the arms toarrange them in a position suitable for draping, the guided setup systemstill advances to the next state if the control system detects that oneof the arms or the column is draped. Therefore, the system recognizesthat the user has moved beyond the Deploy For Draping state 254, and isworking in the Draping state 256. Accordingly, the arms 106 do not haveto be in the optimal position achieved via the automatic deploy settingin order to recognize that the task may be suitably completed, and toadvance from the Deploy For Draping state to the next state.

When the criteria in 304 are met, the central electronic data processingunit 142 controls the touchscreen monitor 146 to advance it from theDeploy For Draping state 254 to the Draping state 256, and it displays a“Drape arms and column” prompt at 306, as indicated in FIG. 7B. Sincethe touchscreen monitor 146 is disposed on the vision cart component 140(FIG. 1C) so that the user can view the touchscreen monitor 146 whilestanding in front of or working on the teleoperational assembly 100, thedrape arms and column prompt may be displayed on the touchscreen monitor146.

At 308 in FIG. 7B, and when the touchscreen monitor 146 advances to theDraping state 256, the touchpad 154 begins the docking phase 204 in FIG.3. Here, it leaves the Deploy For Draping state 252 and enters theSelect Anatomy state 260 and displays a select anatomy prompt at theguided setup screen prompt 524. An example of this is shown in FIG. 10.In addition, the select anatomy button 526 in FIG. 8 automaticallyexpands or opens without a user input to show a menu 533 of a pluralityof selectable body regions where the surgery may occur. The user mayinput an anatomical region by selecting it from the menu 533 on thetouchpad 154.

At 310 in FIG. 7B, and after a body region is selected, the touchpad 154advances to the Select Approach state 262 and displays a select approachprompt as the guided setup screen prompt 524. An example of this isshown in FIG. 11. Depending on the selected anatomical region, a numberof possible approaches are presented for selection. In FIG. 11, thepossible selectable approaches are Patient Left button 540 or PatientRight button 542. FIG. 11 shows that if the Thoracic body region wereselected at step 308, the selectable approaches may be limited topatient right and patient left. It is worth noting that other anatomicalregions may be treated using additional approaches. For example, if thePelvic region were selected at 308, the selectable approaches mayinclude patient right, patient left, and patient legs. The user mayinput the approach by selecting it on the touchpad 154.

Also in FIG. 11, the stow button 530 (FIG. 10) has changed to a sterilestow button 544 and the deploy for draping button has been changed to aDeploy for Docking button 546. In some embodiments, this change occursas a result of installation of one or more drapes. The sterile stow maybe selected after surgical drapes are placed on the column 104 or thearms 106. The sterile stow is a stow intended to reduce the overallfootprint of the teleoperational assembly 100 while maintaining thedrapes in an undamaged and a sterile condition. Accordingly, the sterilestow position may be less compact than the stow position shown in FIG.6. As with the other automatic positions discussed herein, someembodiments may allow the column 104, the boom 105, the arms 106, andthe orienting platform 107 to move only while the button 530 is pressedor touched on the touchpad 154. Other embodiments control the column104, the boom 105, the arms 106, and the orienting platform 107 to movecompletely to the preset position after merely pressing on the buttonwithout maintaining pressure on the button.

At a step 312 in FIG. 7B, and after a user has selected an anatomy andan approach, the central electronic data processing unit 142 may querywhether the arms 106 and column 104 are draped and in a compactposition. That is, the guided setup system queries whether draping iscomplete. If not, then the system waits at 314. Here, the touchpad 154may advance to the Sterile Tasks state 258 and display a waiting onsterile tasks prompt at the guided setup screen prompt 524. If the armsor column were already draped and in a compact position when theapproach is selected at 310, or when the arms and column are draped at314, the touchscreen 154 advances to the Deploy For Docking state 264.In this state, at 316 in FIG. 7B, the touchscreen 154 displays a deployfor docking prompt as the screen prompt 524. This is discussed furtherbelow.

As discussed above, the guided setup system is configured to bypassstates that are not required or that may have already been completed.Accordingly, at 312, if the system senses that the arms and column arealready draped and that the arms are in a compact position, the guidedsetup skips the sterile tasks state 258 and advances directly to theDeploy For Docking state at 316, without any actual user input at theteleoperational system 10. That is, the system detects that the arms andcolumn have sterile drapes thereon, and detects the position of thearms. Therefore, without any additional input at the user interfaces,the system may bypass or skip the sterile tasks state 258 and move tothe Deploy For Docking state.

As mentioned above, certain actions may occur simultaneously on thetouchpad 154 and the touchscreen monitor 146. Accordingly, at 306 inFIG. 7B, the touchscreen monitor 146 operates in the Draping state 256and displays a drape column and arms prompt. The teleoperational medicalsystem 10 provides feedback to the user at the vision cart touchscreenmonitor 146, indicating which arms have been draped. Exemplary feedbackmay include, for example, an image of each arm and an indicator ofwhether it is properly draped. This indicator may be an identifyingmarker, such as a color, a shade, a number, or other indicator. Thus,the teleoperational assembly 100 may sense whether the drapes areproperly installed on the arms and may present this to the user. FIG. 12shows an image of each arm and the column as it may be displayed on thetouchscreen monitor 146. The teleoperational system 10 is configured tosense and determine whether the arms or the column are draped without aprompt at the user interface. The guided setup prompt 536 on thetouchscreen monitor 146 may be viewed by the sterile user as he or sheworks to install the drapes. As each drape is installed, the arm may behighlighted or otherwise marked to indicate that the arm is prepared forthe next step in the setup process. In this embodiment, arms 1 and 2 areshown highlighted, and therefore are indicated as being properly draped.

At 318, the central electronic data processing unit 142 determineswhether the arms and the column are properly draped. If they are not,the touchscreen monitor 146 continues to display the guided setup screenshown in FIG. 12.

If at 318, the system senses that the arms and the column are properlydraped, then the touchscreen monitor 146 advances to the Arms Back state266, forming a part of the draping phase 202. Accordingly, the guidedsetup advances to 320 and automatically turns on a reference laser lineand instructs the user to push all arms behind the reference laser lineat 320. An example of this screen is shown in FIG. 13. In someembodiments, the system generates a voice prompt since the user'sattention may be on the arms and not on the touchpad 154 or touchscreenmonitor 146. Accordingly, the system may provide a voice prompt, such as“Push all arms behind the green laser line,” for example. This positionpermits the user to later advance the teleoperational assembly 100 tothe patient. The screenshot in FIG. 13 shows individual arms relative toa reference line corresponding with the actual laser reference line. Asthe actual arms 106 physically move behind the actual reference laserline, the arms in the image of FIG. 13 also displace rearward relativeto the displayed line. As such, the user knows precisely which arms aresufficiently retracted and which are not. This is an example where thesystem uses a reminder to aid the efficiency of the overall workflow.Since the sterile user is already near the arms 106, that user is wellsuited to ensure the arms 106 are not blocking the laser. The laser willbe used later by the non-sterile user when driving the teleoperationalassembly 100 to the patient. If the arms 106 were left in a positionthat obstructs the laser, then the subsequent driving task may bedelayed or lead to a suboptimal positioning of the teleoperationalassembly 100.

At 322 in FIG. 7B, the central electronic data processing unit 142queries whether the arms are properly disposed behind the referencelaser line. If they are not, then the touchscreen monitor 146 continuesto prompt the user at 320.

When all the arms are behind the laser reference line at 322, thecentral electronic data processing unit 142 queries whether theanatomical region and approach were already selected on the touchpad 154(discussed with reference to 308 and 310 above). If at 324 theanatomical region and approach were not previously selected, then thetouchscreen monitor 146 may display a reminder or prompt at 325 todirect the user to the touchpad 154 to perform steps 308 and 310 in FIG.7B. That is, the touchscreen monitor 146 may advance to the SelectDocking state 268 in FIG. 3 and instruct the user to enter theanatomical region and approach.

If the anatomical region and approach were already selected at 324 inFIG. 7B, then the guided setup system completely bypasses the SelectDocking state 268, and the guided setup may advance directly to 326.

At 326, the central electronic data processing unit 142 again confirmsthat the arms are back behind the reference line. If the arms are notback at 326, then the system returns to the pushback arms prompt at 320.If the arms are back, the system again confirms that the arms are drapedat 328. If the arms are not draped, the system returns to 306 whichdisplay the drape arms and column prompt. It's worth noting that thereare actually two separate state machines running as part of the overallcontrol system. One state machine governs the guidance provided on thetouchpad 154 and the other state machine governs the guidance on thetouchscreen monitor 146. Both state machines have access to the sameinput signals from the system but maintain their own finite states,since the states map more readily to distinct visual and audio feedbackcues provided on the respective subsystems.

If the arms are back at 326 and the arms are draped at 328, then thetouchscreen monitor 146 advances to the Deploy For Docking state 270, asindicated at 316 in FIG. 4B.

The Deploy For Docking state on the touchscreen monitor 146 refers theuser to the touchpad 154 which can control the arms 106 to place them ina docking configuration. At the same time, the Deploy For Docking stateon the touchpad 154 provides a selectable deploy for docking button 546in place of the deploy for draping button 528. This is shown in FIG. 14.In addition, FIG. 14 shows the selected approach and highlights theselected approach by providing an indicator, such as the target signshowing the selected approach relative to the patient.

A user may select the deploy for docking button 546, and in response,the teleoperational assembly 100 may move its column 104, boom 105, arms106, and orienting platform 107 to a docking position that is dependentupon both the anatomical region selection and the approach selection.FIGS. 5A-5F discussed above show various deployed for docking positionsthat may be achieved at the Deploy For Docking state based on theselected anatomical region and approach.

Here, the user has the option to press the deploy for docking button 546to initiate the automatic process of deploying the column 104, boom 105,arms 106, and the orienting platform 107 in the deploy for dockingconfiguration shown in FIG. 5A-5F. In some embodiments, the column 104,boom 105, and arms 106 move only while the button 546 is pressed ortouched on the touchpad 154. This may enable the user to stop movementof the column 104, boom 105, and arms 106 simply by removing a fingerfrom the button 546. When the button is pressed, the central electronicdata processing unit 142 generates and sends command signals to theteleoperational assembly 100 that also avoids arm collisions or contactas explained above, while moving the column 104, boom 105, arms 106, andthe orienting platform 107 into the particular position which isdependent on both the selected anatomical region and the selectedapproach.

The guided setup system automatically deploys the teleoperationalassembly to a position that is predetermined as an ideal spot forsurgical procedures at the selected anatomical region and the patientapproach. The predetermined position, for example, may be a positionwhere the boom 105 and arms 106 are positioned away from range of motionlimits, the vertical setups 160 are raised to provide maximum clearanceupon rollup to the patient, the patient clearance setups 162 arepositioned for suitable tradeoff between patient clearance and pitchrange of motion for each arm 106, the arms 106 are positioned tominimize possible collisions between each other, and the manipulatorarms are positioned to present their spars in an upright orientation toaid accessibility for docking. Some embodiments may include a menuincluding individual selectable surgical procedures instead of just theselectable anatomical region. This may enable the prestored dockingposition to have even additional options and prestored configurations.Some embodiments permit a user to input patient dimensions to provide aneven more accurate docking configuration for a particular patient.

At 332 in FIG. 7B, the central electronic data processing unit 142queries whether the arms are fully positioned in the deploy for dockingposition or whether the arms or gantry are disabled. If the arms are notfully in the deploy for docking configuration, or if the arms or boomare not disabled, then the touchscreen monitor 146 and the touchpad 154display the deploy for docking prompt.

When at 332 the arms are fully deployed for docking or the arms aredisabled, then, at 334 in FIG. 4C, the touchpad 154 advances to theApproach The Patient state 274 and instructions are displayed to drive,or advance the teleoperational assembly to the patient. This may includeinstructions to manually push the teleoperational assembly 100 to thepatient or may have a motorized drive configured to advance theteleoperational assembly 100 to the patient. At this time, the centralelectronic data processing unit 142 turns on a targeting light on theorienting platform 107 that projects a target light, such as atarget-shaped light downward from the boom 104 of the teleoperationalassembly 100. In some embodiments, the target light is a cross-hairsthat may be used as a reference to align the teleoperational assembly100 over the patient. In one example, the Approach The Patient guidedsetup screen prompt 524 prompts a user to drive the crosshairs to thetarget port on the patient. FIG. 15 shows an example of the touchpad 154when in the Approach The Patient state 274. As can be seen, the guidedsetup screen prompt 524 includes instructions to drive crosshairs to thetarget port. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the patient left wasselected as the approach instead of the patient right.

At 336, the touchscreen monitor 146 advances to the Dock Scope Arm state272 and presents a prompt to the user to dock an endoscope on thedesignated endoscope arm. An example of this is shown in FIG. 16. At 337in FIG. 7B, the central electronic data processing unit 142 querieswhether the endoscope arm is attached to a cannula. If it is not, theprompt continues to display at 336. If it attached, the guided setup onthe touchpad 154 advances to the Surgery In Process state 276 and thetouchpad 154 indicates that a surgery is in process at 338. This endsthe guided setup on the touchpad 154.

In the exemplary method described herein, the guided setup continues onthe touchscreen monitor 146 and enters the Targeting phase 206 in FIG.2. At 340, the touchscreen monitor 146 advances to the Connect Endoscopestate 278 and prompts the user to install the endoscope in the cannula.In some embodiments, a voice prompts the user to perform this task,since their attention is on the arms and not the screen. In one example,the system speaks, “Now install the endoscope”. The system is arrangedto sense when the endoscope is installed without the user manuallyinputting a setting. When the endoscope is detected as being installed,the guided setup advances to the Targeting state 280, and thetouchscreen monitor 146 prompts the user to perform targeting at 342.Some embodiments of the system use a voice prompt here that says, forexample, “Point the scope at the target anatomy, then press and hold thetargeting button”. This may include pointing the endoscope at the targetanatomy and pressing and holding a targeting button. In someembodiments, the targeting button is disposed on the endoscopeinstrument. However, it may be disposed at other locations about thedevice. In some embodiments, the target button is disposed on the spar172 of the arm 106.

When the targeting button is held in its operate position, the systemrotates the orienting platform so that a centerline of the orientingplatform 107 is oriented with the endoscope. Here, the camera arm (thearm connected to the endoscope) moves as the orienting platform 107moves so that the endoscope stays at its position and orientation withreference to the patient. This camera arm motion is null space motion tocounteract the orienting platform 107 motion. In addition, the boom 105and the other arms 106 are positioned based on the camera arm's positionto refine the ideal spot for the arms with reference to the endoscopeposition and orientation, as well as to the positions of the other arms.For example, the non-sterile height of the orienting platform 107 is setto not be too low, which might cause contact with a sterile instrumentduring insertion or removal, but not too high at an opposite end of itsrange of motion. The boom 105 and the orienting platform 107 will moveso that the crosshair is laterally aligned with the remote center ofmotion for the camera manipulator. If during targeting, the boom 105 ismoved too far out, near the boom's outer range of motion, the visual andaudio warning are output that advise the user to move theteleoperational assembly 100 closer to the patient.

At a step 344, the central electronic data processing unit 142 may querywhether a user docked a second cannula before performing the targeting.If this occurred before targeting, the touchscreen monitor 146 displaysa targeting reminder prompt on the touchscreen monitor 146 at 346. Ifthe user performs targeting as prompted at 342, and does not add asecond cannula before targeting, then the touchscreen monitor 146advances to the Connect Remaining Arms state 282 and prompts the user todock cannulas to the rest of the arms at 348. When the rest of the armsare docked, the guided setup advances to the Surgery In Process state284, and the guided setup process ends at 350. Information relating tothe surgery may then be displayed on the touchscreen monitor 146.

The guided setup system allows a user to deviate from the given sequencein a manner that provides a dynamic setup and that provides many optionsto a user. In addition to advancing through the setup without requiringthe user to indicate when a step is complete, the guided setup alsoincludes a plurality of universal overrides that cause the guided setupto skip or bypass particular states. These overrides occur when a userperforms an action that causes the system to change states withoutfollowing the sequence set out above.

One exemplary universal override occurs when a user docks an arm to acannula. In this condition, regardless of the operating state of theguided setup, whether at the Deploy For Draping state, the SelectAnatomy state, or any other state, the touchpad 154 advances to theSurgery In Process state 276 and displays the surgery in process prompt.In addition, the touchscreen monitor 146 advances to the Dock Scope Armstate. Accordingly, if, for example, the system is setup for a trainingexercise or for instruction, docking a cannula resets the touchpad 154to the Surgery In Process state and resets the touchscreen monitor tothe Dock Scope Arm state regardless of their current states.

The guided setup system includes additional universal overrides thatcause the system to skip over some states to a preset state associatedwith the override. For example, irrespective of the current state, if auser attaches a valid instrument to a cannula docked on an arm, thetouchscreen monitor 146 advances to the Surgery In Process state 284,and the touchscreen monitor 146 displays the surgery in process prompt.This ends the guided walkthrough until all cannulae are again removed.In another example, irrespective of the current state, if an arm isproperly draped, and the arm is docked to cannula, and an endoscope isnot attached, then the touchscreen monitor 146 displays a prompt toconnect an endoscope to the arm.

Yet another universal override condition occurs when an endoscope isproperly connected, the system is not targeted, and the arms areenabled. In this override condition, the guided setup system advances tothe Targeting state 280 and prompts the user to target by instructingthe user to point at the target anatomy and press and hold the targetingbutton.

It is worth noting that the guided setup system is configured toautomatically recognize when a state is met, and the systemautomatically advances to the next state. Accordingly, the user need notenter a “next” input at any time. Furthermore, a user can override/skipone or more parts of the guided setup system by simply moving directlyto a system configuration farther along in the guided setup process, atwhich point the system will sense the configuration and output anappropriate prompt corresponding to the configuration. That is, thecontext of the configuration determines what the system infers is thenext required action. If the system determines that a user appears tohave skipped an action that has been identified in the system as beingespecially important, the system will output a reminder. But if the usercontinues after receiving the reminder, the system continues and outputsthe next prompt based on the sensed configuration. In this manner, thesystem guides the setup without requiring a particular sequence ofaction and without requiring that all steps be taken into account.Accordingly, skilled or practiced users may be able to setup the systemwithout precisely following the guided setup prompts, while other usersmay wish to precisely follow the guided setup prompts. Furthermore,because the user need not enter a “next” input after any step, the setupprocess may be completed in less time, may result in less contamination,and may enable simple setup for training, practice, or instructionalpurposes, without requiring the system to go through a complete surgicalpreparation.

Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a widerange of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in theforegoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of theembodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of otherfeatures. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize manyvariations, alternatives, and modifications. Thus, the scope of thedisclosure should be limited only by the following claims, and it isappropriate that the claims be construed broadly and in a mannerconsistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A medical system for performing a medicalprocedure, the system comprising: a kinematic structure having aplurality of motorized joints configured to assist in the medicalprocedure; a memory storing a plurality of pre-established positions forthe kinematic structure; a user interface configured to: displayselectable options to an operator of the medical system; and aprocessing system configured to: cause the user interface to provide afirst pre-established position for selection, the first pre-establishedposition being of the plurality of pre-established positions; andreceive information about a context of the medical procedure; inresponse to receiving the information about the context of the medicalprocedure, cause the user interface to stop providing for selection thefirst pre-established position.
 22. The medical system of claim 21,wherein: the processing system is configured to cause the user interfaceto provide the first pre-established position for selection by: causingthe user interface to display a first selectable option associated withthe first pre-established position; and the processing system isconfigured to cause the user interface to stop providing the firstpre-established position for selection by: causing the user interface tostop displaying the first selectable option.
 23. The medical system ofclaim 21, wherein: the processing system is configured to cause the userinterface to provide the first pre-established position for selectionby: causing the user interface to display a first selectable optionassociated with the first pre-established position; and the processingsystem is configured to cause the user interface to stop providing thefirst pre-established position for selection by: causing the userinterface to replace a display of the first selectable option with asecond selectable option, the second selectable option being associatedwith a second pre-established position.
 24. The medical system of claim21, wherein: the processing system is configured to cause the userinterface to provide the first pre-established position for selectionby: causing the user interface to display a first subset of multipleselectable options, the first subset of multiple selectable optionsincluding a first selectable option, the first selectable optionassociated with the first pre-established position; and the processingsystem is configured to cause the user interface to stop providing thefirst pre-established position for selection by: causing the userinterface to display a second subset of multiple selectable options, thesecond subset of multiple selectable options not including the firstselectable option.
 25. The medical system of claim 24, wherein theprocessing system is further configured to: determine the first subsetof the selectable options without the information about the context ofthe medical procedure; and determine the second subset of the selectableoptions with the information about the context of the medical procedureafter the context.
 26. The medical system of claim 21, wherein theinformation about the context comprises information about a change incontext of the medical procedure, and wherein the change in contextcomprises an installation of a drape for the kinematic structure. 27.The medical system of claim 26, wherein: the first pre-establishedposition comprises a stow position, the stow position being a firstretracted position of the kinematic structure; the processing system isfurther configured to: in response to receiving the information aboutthe change in context, cause the user interface to start providing asecond-pre-established position for selection, the secondpre-established position being of the plurality of pre-establishedpositions; and the second pre-established position comprises a sterilestow position, the sterile stow position being a second retractedposition different from the first retracted position.
 28. The medicalsystem of claim 21, wherein the information about the context comprisesinformation about a change in context of the medical procedure, andwherein the change in context comprises a deployment of the kinematicstructure into the first pre-established position.
 29. The medicalsystem of claim 28, wherein the processing system is further configuredto: receive an input from a user selecting the first pre-establishedposition; output control signals to the kinematic structure to move thekinematic structure to the first pre-established position; and receiveinformation about a context of the medical procedure by detecting thekinematic structure achieving the first pre-established position. 30.The medical system of claim 28 wherein: the kinematic structurecomprises a first manipulator arm; the medical system comprises anassembly, the assembly comprising the first manipulator arm and a secondmanipulator arm; the processing system is further configured to: inresponse to receiving the information about the change in context, causethe user interface to start providing a second-pre-established positionfor selection, the second pre-established position being of theplurality of pre-established positions; the first pre-establishedposition comprises a deploy-for-draping position, the deploy-for-drapingposition spaces the first manipulator from the second manipulator arm toallow a drape to be placed on the first or second manipulator arm; andthe second pre-established position comprises a deploy-for-dockingposition, the deploy-for-docking position postures the kinematicstructure for approaching a patient of the medical procedure.
 31. Themedical system of claim 21, wherein the information about the contextcomprises a parameter selected from the group consisting of: ananatomical region for the medical procedure; a patient approach for themedical procedure; a patient dimension; and whether the kinematicstructure is disabled.
 32. The medical system of claim 21, wherein theinformation about the context comprises information about a change incontext of the medical procedure, and wherein the processing system isfurther configured to: automatically detect the information about thechange in context, wherein the change in context comprises a physicalre-positioning of the kinematic structure.
 33. A method of controlling amedical system, the method comprising: storing a plurality ofpre-established positions for a kinematic structure configured to assistin a medical procedure; causing a user interface of the medical systemto provide a first pre-established position for selection, the firstpre-established position being of the plurality of pre-establishedpositions; and receiving information about a context of the medicalprocedure; and in response to receiving the information about thecontext of the medical procedure, causing the user interface to stopproviding for selection the first pre-established position.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, wherein: causing the user interface to provide thefirst pre-established position for selection comprises: causing the userinterface to display a first selectable option associated with the firstpre-established position; and causing the user interface to stopproviding the first pre-established position for selection comprises:causing the user interface to replace a display of the first selectableoption with a second selectable option, the second selectable optionbeing of associated with a second pre-established position.
 35. Themethod of claim 33, wherein causing the user interface to provide thefirst pre-established position for selection comprises: causing the userinterface to display a first subset of multiple selectable options, thefirst subset of multiple selectable options including a first selectableoption, the first selectable option associated with the firstpre-established position; and wherein causing the user interface to stopproviding the first pre-established position for selection comprises:causing the user interface to display a second subset of multipleselectable options, the second subset of multiple selectable options notincluding the first selectable option.
 36. The method of claim 33,wherein receiving the information about the context comprises receivinginformation about a change in context of the medical procedure, andwherein the change in context comprises: an installation of a drape forthe kinematic structure; or a deployment of the kinematic structure intothe first pre-established position.
 37. The method of claim 36, furthercomprising: in response to receiving the information about a change incontext, causing the user interface to start providing asecond-pre-established position for selection, the secondpre-established position being of the plurality of pre-establishedpositions, wherein the first pre-established position comprises adeploy-for-draping position, the deploy-for-draping position spaces afirst manipulator arm from a second manipulator arm to allow a drape tobe placed on the first manipulator arm or the second manipulator arm,and wherein the second pre-established position comprises adeploy-for-docking position, the deploy-for-docking position posturesthe kinematic structure for approaching a patient of the medicalprocedure.
 38. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving the informationabout the context comprises receiving a parameter selected from thegroup consisting of: an anatomical region for the medical procedure; apatient approach for the medical procedure; a patient dimension; andwhether the kinematic structure is disabled.
 39. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium comprising a plurality of computer-readableinstructions which when executed by one or more processors associatedwith a medical system are adapted to cause the one or more processors toperform a method comprising: storing a plurality of pre-establishedpositions for a kinematic structure configured to assist in a medicalprocedure; causing a user interface of the medical system to provide afirst pre-established position for selection, the first pre-establishedposition being of the plurality of pre-established positions; andreceiving information about a context of the medical procedure; and inresponse to receiving the information about the context of the medicalprocedure, causing the user interface to stop providing for selectionthe first pre-established position.
 40. The computer-readable medium ofclaim 39, wherein receiving the information about the context comprisesreceiving information about a change in context of the medicalprocedure, and wherein the change in context comprises: an installationof a drape for the kinematic structure; or a deployment of the kinematicstructure into the first pre-established position.
 41. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the method furthercomprises: in response to receiving the information about a change incontext, causing the user interface to start providing asecond-pre-established position for selection, the secondpre-established position being of the plurality of pre-establishedpositions, wherein the first pre-established position comprises adeploy-for-draping position, the deploy-for-draping position spaces afirst manipulator arm from a second manipulator arm to allow a drape tobe placed on the first manipulator arm or the second manipulator arm,and wherein the second pre-established position comprises adeploy-for-docking position, the deploy-for-docking position posturesthe kinematic structure for approaching a patient of the medicalprocedure.